STATE INDOOR TRACK: Johnson sets state shot put record in championships

STAFF REPORT

Montgomery Academy’s Isabella Johnson and Alabama Christian Academy’s Kate Finch closed out their remarkable careers with individual championships in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state indoor track meet, leading their respective schools to top five finishes in Class 1A-3A competition on Saturday.

Johnson set a state record with her shot put of 38 feet, 7.75 inches, earning Montgomery Academy 10 points on the way to a second-place finish in 1A-3A girls.

Finch placed first in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:58.07, second in 1600-meter run with a time of 5:34.75 and third in 800-meter run with a time of 2:29.27, accounting for 24 of Alabama Christian’s 37 total points that earned the school a fifth-place finish in 1A-3A girls. 

In addition to Johnson’s feat, Sarah Elizabeth Casey was first in the high jump and Elle Ingram was first in the 800-meter run and third in both the 1600 and 3200 events. Teammate Bea Farley was fifth in the 3200, while Megan Link and Avery Williford were third and fourth, respectively, in pole vault. The Eagles’ relay teams were fourth in the 4x200, third in the 4x400 and fifth in the 4x800.  

In addition to Finch, the Eagles gained points on Autumn Jackson’s second-place finish in triple jump, Zoey Varnum’s seventh-place finish in the 60-meter dash and the 4x200 relay team’s sixth-place finish. 

Trinity finished eighth with 14 points, getting eight points from Ella Wiswall’s second-place finish in the 60-meter dash and six points after placing third in the 4x200 relay. 

1A-3A boys, Trinity finished seventh, Montgomery Academy was eighth and Alabama Christian was 15th. Trinity’s Matthew Blake was second and Paul Renner was seventh in the 800-meter run, Blake was second in the 400-meter run and the Wildcats’ 4x400-meter relay team was second.

Montgomery Academy’s 4x400 team was first, accounting for 10 of the Eagles’ 25 points. In the 1600-meter run, Frank Williford was fifth and Matt Cone eighth, while Williford finished fifth in the 3200, three places ahead of teammate Price McLemore. The Eagles also picked up three points from its sixth-place finish in 4x800 and two points from Eli Jernigan’s seventh-place finish in the 60-meter dash. 

ACA’s Ari Bowman and David Ortiz-Ramirez placed fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 400-meter run, with AC Walters earning eighth place in the 60-meter dash. The Eagles also earned five points from their fourth-place finish in the 4x200-meter relay.

In 4A-5A, Catholic took 12th place as Haylei Mason placed second in the 60-meter hurdles and seventh in the 400-meter run, while Ann Cobb was fifth in the 400-meter run.

Brewbaker Tech finished eighth in the boys’ division and ninth in the girls. Julian Fenderson earned 12 of the Rams’ 19 points, finishing first in the 60-meter run and seventh in the long jump. Cameron Richardson was eighth in the 60 meters and the Rams were third in the 4x200.

Megan Tate helped the girls to a ninth-place finish by placing third in the 800 and seventh in the 3200. Joy Taylor was eighth in the 60-meter dash, Tamera Campbell was fourth in the long jump and the 4x200 and 4x400 teams both finished in third place.

In 6A, Pike Road’s Mansur Ali was fifth in the shot put while Lauren Nix was eighth in the 400-meter run for the girls. Carver’s Carmyree Pearson-White finished second in the boys’ 60-meter dash, while Wetumpka’s Jada Walker was seventh in the girls’ 60-meter dash.